WITH our Prime Minister confronting their killers in Japan, humpback whales off the NSW north coast are fleeing a ferocious natural predator closer to home.
In an incredibly rare sighting, six killer whales - called orcas- were seen hunting a pod of humpbacks just 300 metres offshore at Port Macquarie.
With their massive dorsal fin and distinct white saddle patches, these sleek predators could make a great white shark seem harmless.
Travelling at speeds of up to 48 kilometres per hour, the orca's hunt like wolves, in packs.
Nipping and ramming their prey they attempt to mount the humpbacks and cover their blowhall in an exhausting pursuit that can take hours.
They want the calves, so with humpbacks heading north to breed, now is the perfect orca feeding time.
And the orca delicacy? Humpback tongue.
"They tear the tongue out - that's the bit they really like,"explains Macquarie Universities whale expert, Rob Harcourt.
"The tongue is rich and full of blood, so once they have that, they'll usually just leave the carcass."
But while these killing machines might seem like a humpback's worst nightmare, amazingly, Mr Harcourt says their presence is a positive sign.
"The fact that killer whales are up to their old habits is a sign the humpback numbers are recovering,"
"This is a sign of a healthy ecosystem."
But, he said a sighting so far north was highly unusual.
For the whale watching cruise operator, John Fowler who snapped the rare event, fascination overshadowed fear.
"The big male came right up to our boat - his dorsal fin was as tall as me," Mr Fowler said said
"I've done 1200 whale sighting trips and have never seen an Orca. It was just spell-binding".
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten